Missing

Sagasu, internationally known as Missing, is a Japanese crime drama that walks off the beaten path and shocks with with an overdose of bleak nihilism. The story revolves around an alcoholic father who claims to have found a mysterious serial killer and parts to claim the reward. He leaves behind his teenage daughter who attempts to find out what has happened to her father who fails to come back home. While a nun wants to put her into an orphanage, a teacher keeps criticizing her and police officers are convinced that her father will never be coming back, the rebellious teenage daughter continues to investigate with a perverted classmate who is obsessed with becoming her boyfriend.

This movie convinces on a few levels. First and foremost, the initial mystery of the father's sudden disappearance makes for a dynamic start of the movie. The settings of a desolate downtown sector are intertwined with an isolated island showcasing stunning landscapes. Child actress Ito Aoi is a wonderful discovery as viewers will quickly empathize with the courageous, resilient and smart teenage daughter who defies authorities, conventions and expectations.

However, this film takes a turn for the worse when its perspective suddenly shifts from the fascinating lead actress to extended flashbacks that reveal too many secrets much too quickly. The movie takes an uncomfortably sinister turn as it takes its time to show numerous elements of murder, suicide and torture. The genre also changes from a quirky thriller to a depressing drama. This is certainly the type of movie to be watched on a gloomy autumn night all by yourself as this film definitely isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea to say the least.

The clever closing scene is almost conciliatory however and leaves viewers on a positive note. Despite being passable at the end of the day, the perspective shift sadly wastes much potential and the repetition of gloomy scenes drags on for far too long as it might only please particularly cynical cineasts. To get to the point, Sagasu, better known as Missing around the world, is certainly a crime drama that walks off the beaten path but not in a very convincing manner. This movie is only recommended to fans of gloomy, nihilistic and slow dramas. If you enjoy this film, I would also recommend the similarly sinister Japanese drama The Suicide Manual.

This movie has a very promising premise. A psycopath on the loose, killing those people who wanted to die. A father who was in debt, and as a single parent who tried to raise a teenage daughter alone. The father wanted reward money for catching the serial killer and decided to go for it and leave her daughter behind. Then the daughter tried to find his father by putting together all the pieces she could find.

But a weak 1st and 3rd acts destroyed it all. Instead of a thrilling chase between our protagonist and the serial killer, we were forced to watch a somehow ambigous drama. The daughter and his boyfriend was really annoying all the time, and contributed nothing to the story except her constant ranting and screaming. What a waste of a good premise movie.

Poor execution 6/10.

A fine Japanese drama/thriller about a teenage girl searching for her father. When she spoke to him last, he claimed he saw a serial killer with a bounty on his head. She suspects he might've set out to find the said killer, especially now that he's drowning in debt.

To say more would be to spoil a complex narrative structured in an atypical way. It's a multi-character story featuring time shifts and unexpected twists. But what I loved the most was the amount of human depth in a dark, sometimes gruesome context. This is, in heart, a story about people grappling with grief, loneliness and despair. They're trying to reconnect with other people but can't help themselves and so end up stuck in the mud, so to speak.

Often juxtaposing emotional outbursts with bizarre horror-like situations, director Shinzo Katayama proves adept at blending genres without hurting the narrative. In that regard he reminds me of the likes of Lee Sang-il (Ikari) or Keisuke Yoshida (Himeanole), daring filmmakers who impress with their abilities to defy simple expectations. The actors here are really convincing too, especially Jiro Sato and Aoi Ito as father and daughter in a strained relationship. Technical specs are fine, often artfully capturing key scenes as they play out.

In short, this was a winner for me. A dramatic thriller that successfully builds a compelling story without compromising its unique vision. The last scene alone is worthy of a watch.

Here's The 4K Lowedown on "Missing" (original title "Sagasu" NR - 2021 - Vudu) Genre: Thriller/Crime

My Score: 7.6 Cast=4 Acting=8 Plot=8 Ending=8 Story=9 Intense=9 Pace=6 Suspense=7 Crime=8 Twist=9

Depressed and in debt, A Father tells his young daughter that he's going to find an infamous serial killer and collect a reward. When he disappears without a trace, she starts to fear the worst and begins searching for him.

"When I close my eyes...I see all these horrible things." This is an interesting thriller with a great twist...and it is nothing like the American movie with the same title. This movie tells the same story from two angles...the daughter's and the Father's. It was like looking at both sides of the same coin at the same time. If you don't mind subtitles, this Japanese film is worth a watch.